Family's mercy has its own impact

After making the gut-wrenching decision to remove his life support, Charlene Schwint held the hand of her beloved kid brother when he died.

Gregory Spyropoulos was a 50-year-old house painter, a good-looking guy with an easy manner and sharp sense of humor. He struggled with substance abuse and was never able to shake off his demons. But he was loved — by his son, his extended Greek clan and the many friends he cultivated while growing up in Fitchburg.

"It was something you never expect to happen in your family," said Schwint, 66.

Three days before his death, Spyropoulos was crossing Cleghorn Street in Fitchburg when he yelled at a passing motorist to slow down. The driver got out of his car, a confrontation ensued and Spyropoulos was punched in the face. He fell to the ground and the motorist drove off, according to prosecutors. Spyropoulos was found bleeding in the street.

The man who punched Spyropoulos was Glenn E. Lowell Sr., the same age as his victim, a delivery man for a Chinese restaurant. On June 20, 2012, hours before Spyropoulos died, Lowell turned himself in to police after reading about Spyropoulos' injuries in the local newspaper.

On Thursday, the tearful defendant was placed on probation for five years after pleading guilty to manslaughter. And while some have decried the sentence as too lenient for a lost life, among those missing from the angry chorus are the people who suffered the most: The victim's family.

"I feel bad for him," Schwint said last week of the man who killed her brother. "This could happen to anyone. One punch thrown the wrong way.…There was nothing to be gained by Mr. Lowell being sent to jail and being taken away from his family."

The plea agreement was reached days before the case was set to go to trial in Worcester Superior Court, and after prosecutors consulted with Spyropoulos' family members. As part of the plea, Lowell must complete an anger management course, attend a head injury course and perform 100 hours of community service.

Spyropoulos' sister read an impact statement to the court that recounted the family's devastation. And while she called Lowell a "murderer and selfish killer," the family's remarkable kindness and grace earned the praise of prosecutors and even the presiding judge.

After Lowell was sentenced and left the courtroom, Judge James R. Lemire asked Spyropoulos' family members to remain. He then took the unusual step of leaving the bench to speak to them personally. Taking Schwint's hand, the judge said the family's compassion and understanding struck a chord with him.

During an interview later that day, Schwint said she realized that Lowell did not intend to kill her brother, but also believes that, based on her brother's severe head injury, Lowell punched him more than once. Lowell's lawyer, meanwhile, was prepared to argue that Spyropoulos threw the first punch and his client acted in self-defense.

"The end result is still the same," Schwint said. "No one wins in a situation like this. Hopefully we all can learn a lesson — when you make a quick decision, there can be terrible consequences."

Through his lawyer, Kristen J. Patria, Lowell declined to comment. Patria called his client a good father and said the resolution "was the best outcome for everyone."

Still, how remarkable that a family can see beyond its grief and extend such mercy to the man responsible for it. Schwint is no bleeding heart; while she can't forgive Lowell, she has no desire for revenge or retribution.

"He's never going to understand what we've been through," Schwint said. "But he has to live with this, too."